Trolley device.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1905.

y F. J. LUDGLPH.

TROLLEY EEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18,1905A www.

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i NITED STATES PATENT OFFTC..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed July 18, 1905. Serial No. 270,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK J. LUDOLPH, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolley Devices, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to trolleys generally, but more particularly to the mechanism at the upper end or head of a trolley-pole.

One object of the invention is to provide improved bearings for the wheel-axle.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide means for conveniently replacing the worn parts of the trolley-wheel by corresponding new parts.

A further object of my invention is to produce an improved harp or holder for the wheel, by means of which the wheel may be at any time quickly removed from the pole and without loss of time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out and made to appear in the following specification and the construction more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which with the reference characters marked thereon form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation of the device with a part shown in two positions by full and by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view of the same seen as indicated by arrow 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner face of a branch of the harp seen as indicated by arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation similar to Fig. 3 with a part omitted and a portion in vertical longitudinal section on the dotted line 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of the part shown in Fig. 4, indicated by arrow in said Fig. 4, a part being broken away and horizontally sectioned on the dotted line in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of a part of the harp detached viewed in the direction indicated by arrow 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a view of a portion of one branch of the harp seen as indicated by arrow 7 in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of parts on the dotted line 8 8 in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows in perspective one of the removable bearing-blocks detached. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a wheel, parts being broken away and other parts sectioned at right angles with the axis of the wheel. Figs. 3 to 10, inclusive, are

drawn to scales larger than that of Figs. 1 and 2.

l Referring to the parts shown, A represents the harp of the trolley-head, and B the wheel carried by the harp, the latter being attached at the upper end of an ordinary trolley-pole C. The harp is bifurcated, with the wheel between its branches, the axle or shaft a of the wheel having a bearing in each branch, as shown, these branches being right and left and similar. The harp A is longitudinally divided into two unequal independent members or sectionsthat is to say, a main member or section 7c and a minor member or sec! tion b, Figs. l and 3--these parts or sections together constituting the body of the harp. Near the extreme end of the harp the plane of division between the sections lc and b coincides with the axis of the wheel, one-half of each bearing of the axle or shaft a of the wheel being in each section. The two secg tions 7c b 'of the harp are formed with mutually interlocking elements which with other simple means serve to hold them securely together while in use, but admit of the sections being readily and quickly separated and taken apart when it is wished to remove the wheel or for other purposes. Each branch of the section 7c is formed with acavity c, Figs. 4 and 5, the branches of the section b having forwardly-projecting spurs d d to enter the respective cavities c c when the two sections are put together. When the part l) is put to place, it is primarilyheld in a relativelyinclined position (indicated b dotted lines in Fig. l) to cause the spurs d to enter the cavities c c, after which it is brought parallel with and against the main section ff, as shown by full lines. The section b is further formed with a longitudinal slot or opening e, Fig. 6, to pass over a perforated projecting lug f, Fig. l, of the section 7c, and is secured to place against said section k by means of a simple spring-catch or element g engaging in the perforation of the lug. The opposite or free end of said element g terminates in an eyelet or ring 7L for receive ing the ordinary controlling-rope for the trolley. Thus it will be understood each section of the harp is cavitary or apertured and each also is formed with a part or parts projecting into the openings of the other to interlock and hold the sections together. When the the element g is in place, the sections cannot become separated, as the spurs d cl are so IOO IIO

formed that they hook into and cannot esj before, which parts thus put together concape from the cavities c c until the opposite end of the part b is drawn away from the part c to the dotted position shown in Fig. 1 and previously speciiied. This construction of the harp in two readily detachable parts for the purpose of conveniently removing the Wheel at any time is of very great importance in trolley-car service. As trolley-poles are now commonly constructed when it becomes necessary to remove the wheel for any purpose the pole has to be detached from the car and taken down in its entirety, while with this two-part harp the parts of the same have merely to be detached, as stated.

The extreme enlarged ends or heads n n of the branches of the section t of the harp are formed with rectangular cavities t t, Figs. 6 and 8, occupied by bearing-blocks l l, Figs. 6 to 9, `for the axle a, said blocks being removable and made of some antifriction metal, as composition brass. Adj usting-screws m, one being shown in Fig. 8, threaded vertically upward in the heads n n of the part t centrally beneath the bearing blocks Z Z, constitute means for lifting the blocks when necessary to compensate for the wearing away of the metal. Immediately over the cavities ii in the part l) the section 7 of the harp is formed with similar cavities o o, Figs. 4 and 5, Jfor receiving some librous absorbent, as cottonwaste, for a lubricant to rest in contact with and press the journal-bearings of the axle a, oil-passages p p, Figs. 2, 4, and 5, being formed to lead downward into the cavities 0 o and to the absorbent therein.

The trolley-wheel B comprises two independent main parts-namely, a grooved rim r for traversing the wire and a hub portion t, holding the axle a. The rim r is formed with a series (four, more or less) of short inwardlyprojecting bosses s, Fig. 10, in its` middle plane equally spaced, each formed with a conical cavity u, the hub t having an equal number of short radial hollow arms Q2 opposite the bosses s, as shown. Extension-arms w, threaded in the respective hollow arms 1), have their outer conical ends in the cavities u of the wheel, each arm w being formed with a polygonal head :c for the purpose of turning it. The grooved rims of trolley-wheels are commonly made with bushings, and in use the parts wear away and become useless and have to be discarded while the hubs are yet good and serviceable, and by means of the foregoing-described construction of the .wheel the worn parts may be readily and conveniently detached and replaced bynew ones. To remove the worn parts of this improved wheel, the threaded extension-arms w are simply turned into the hub -arms o sufficir ently to release the rim r. A new rim being substituted, the extension-arms are again turned outward to press Yl-irmly against it with their conical terminals in the cavities u, as

stitute practically a new wheel.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A trolley device comprising, in combination with the pole, a harp in two separable parts or sections for holding the wheel, the two parts of the harp having mutually-interlocking elements between the wheel-bearing and the outer end of the harp for preventing their separation.

2. A trolley device comprising, in combination with the pole, a harp in two separable parts or members for holding the wheel, the two parts of the harp being divided along the axis of the wheel and having mutuallyinterlocking elements between the wheelbearing and the outer end ofthe harp, and

' means for holding the two parts together.

3. A trolley device comprising a divided harp for holding the wheel, with half the axle bearing of the wheel in each part of the harp, one part of the harp having cavities and the other part having spurs to enter said cavities, and means for holding the parts of the harp together to act as a single piece, said cavities and spurs being disposed between the wheel-bearing and the outer end of the harp.

4. A trolley device comprising a two-part 9 5 harp with wheel, each part having both an opening and a projecting portion, said opening and projecting part being between the wheel-bearing and the outer end of the harp, the projecting portion of each part of the harp occupying the opening in the other, and means for holding said parts of the harp together.

5. A trolley device com rising a bifurcated harp in two separab e parts divided through the axis of the wheel, the axle of the wheel having a bearing in the branches of the harp on either side of the wheel, one of said parts of the harp having cavities adjacent to the axle, between the wheel-bearing and the outer end of the harp/and movable bearingblocks for the axle in said cavities.

6. A .trolley device comprising a bifurcated harp in two separable parts divided through the axis of the wheel, and having mutually-interlocking elements between the wheel-bearing and the outer end of the harp, the axle of the wheel having a bearing in the branches of the harp on either side of the wheel, one of said parts of the harp having removable bearing -blocls, and the other part having cavities adjacent to the axle for holding an absorbent.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of July, 1905, in the presence o'l' two subscribing witnesses.

v FRANK J. LUDOLPII.

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